Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- The 1910s -- 1910

Eugene Ely's Flight from USS Birmingham, 14 November
1910

In October 1910 Captain Washington I. Chambers, who was responsible
for aviation matters at the Navy Department, traveled to Belmont
Park, New York, to inspect the flimsy aircraft and meet with pioneer
aviators at the International Air Meet. While discussing the prospects
for the taking aircraft to sea, he was impressed by the technical
abilities of Eugene Ely, a demonstration pilot working with airplane
builder Glenn Curtiss. Early the following month, the Captain
visited another air show, near Baltimore, Maryland, and again
saw Ely. Upon hearing that Chambers was interested in having a
plane fly from a ship, Ely volunteered for the task.

In less than two week's time, with financial help from wealthy
aviation enthusiast John Barry Ryan, official backing from Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Beekman Winthrop, and Eugene Ely's drive
and iniative, Chambers managed to generate a historic achievement
that marked the physical beginning of U.S. Navy flying. At the
Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, a wooden platform was quickly constructed
over the foredeck of the scout cruiser Birmingham.
Designed by Naval Constructor William McEntree and paid for with
a few hundred dollars of Ryan's money, this structure sloped down
five degrees from the cruiser's bridge to her bow to provide a
gravity-assisted 57-foot takeoff run for Ely's Curtiss pusher
airplane.

The plane, placed on board by the morning of 14 November 1910,
had its engine installed by Ely and his mechanics as the ship
prepared to leave port. Shortly before noon, Birmingham
steamed down the Elizabeth River toward Hampton Roads, where the
flight was to take place. However, the weather was dreadful, with
squalls rolling by and threatening to thwart the affair. Birmingham
anchored to await improved conditions. In mid-afternoon, with
things looking somewhat clearer, she began to raise her anchor
chain. Eugene Ely, warming up his plane's engine and checking
its controls, waited impatiently during this lengthy process.
Noticing that visibility was again deteriorating, he concluded
that the attempt had to be made immediately, even though the ship
was still stationary. At 3:16 PM he gunned his engine, gave the
release signal, rolled down the ramp and was airborne, almost.

The Curtiss briefly touched the water, throwing up enough spray
to damage its propeller, and vibrated heavily as it climbed. Ely,
a non-swimmer, realized that a quick landing was essential. He
touched down on nearby Willoughby Spit after some five minutes
in the air. This two and a half mile flight, the first time an
airplane had taken off from a warship, was something of a stunt.
However, it received wide publicity. On 18 January 1911, on the
opposite side of the Continent in San Francisco Bay, Eugene Ely
would again operate from a ship, landing and taking off from the
armored cruiser Pennsylvania. One day later, Lieutenant
Theodore G. Ellyson began the flight training that would make
him the U.S. Navy's first aviator.

This page features all the images we have related to the
14 November 1910 flight by aviator Eugene Ely from the deck of
USS Birmingham.

Eugene B. Ely's Curtiss pusher airplane on the takeoff platform
of USS Birmingham (Scout Cruiser # 2), just after it was
hoisted aboard by a floating crane.
Photograph taken at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, shortly
before the flight.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the
Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 109KB; 740 x 550 pixels

Photo #: NH 77551

First airplane takeoff from a warship,
14 November 1910

Eugene B. Ely's Curtiss pusher airplane rests on the flying-off
platform built over the foredeck of USS Birmingham (Scout
Cruiser # 2).
Photograph taken at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, shortly
before the flight. The floating crane that had lifted the airplane
onto the ship is visible at the extreme left.

Photograph from the Eugene B. Ely scrapbooks.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 565 pixels

Photo #: NH 77554

First airplane takeoff from a warship,
14 November 1910

USS Birmingham (Scout Cruiser # 2) steams downriver from
the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, with Eugene B. Ely's Curtiss
pusher airplane on board, at about midday on 14 November 1910.
Ely and his plane made their historic flight later that afternoon.

Photograph from the Eugene B. Ely scrapbooks.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 72KB; 740 x 550 pixels

Photo #: NH 1831

First airplane takeoff from a warship,
14 November 1910

USS Birmingham (Scout Cruiser # 2) bound for Hampton Roads,
after leaving the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, with Eugene B.
Ely's Curtiss pusher airplane on board, 14 November 1910.
Ely took his plane off from Birmingham later that afternoon.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 64KB; 740 x 600 pixels

Photo #: NH 77563

First airplane takeoff from a warship,
14 November 1910

Eugene B. Ely flies his Curtiss pusher airplane off the deck
of USS Birmingham (Scout Cruiser # 2), in Hampton Roads,
Virginia, during the afternoon of 14 November 1910.
USS Roe (Destroyer # 24) is visible beyond Birmingham's
bow, acting as plane guard.
Note that Birmingham's anchor is in the process of being
hoisted.